Mark Stephenson
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Mark Stephenson
Visual artist and designer
Hi there, welcome to my site. I'm a designer, painter and installation artist living and working in Ottawa Canada.
My experience as a UX (user experience) designer and artist blend together to form my personal art projects. For example; in my ongoing ‘SocialPortraits’ series I zero in on our online persona by painting our profile pics, sharing them on social media and then complete the circle by bringing the online engagement experience into the gallery setting by allowing visitors to physically comment and add reactions alongside the pieces. With the installation ‘M’, I was out to engage a community through a shared experience where the viewers manipulated the physical “pixels” of a portrait painting to create countless permutations.
During the day I'm the Chief Designer at Pagecloud, an amazing startup in Ottawa that is out to revolutionize the way we create web sites (like this one). If you haven't used the Pagecloud website builder, you should!
You can check me out LinkedIn for more.
It's important to give back to your community, I focus my volunteer efforts towards creating a prosperous environment for arts and culture in Ottawa.
Figureworks, Past President
Figureworks is an international annual juried art prize and celebration of the art of the human form held in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. Our mission at Figureworks is to cultivate and exhibit art of the human form. Visit Figureworks
Juried and Curated:
2018:
Ottawa Art Gallery – Part and Parcel
Figureworks Finalists Alumi Popup – Wallack Galleries
Arts Network Ottawa - Selections 2018
CSArt Group Show at Art House
Ottawa Art Gallery – Annex Gallery
All Hands on Deck at Beyond the Pale Brewing
2017:
CSArt M Installation + Solo show
Foyer Gallery (Artist-run gallery, juried)
Social Portraits at City of Ottawa Trinity Gallery
2016:
Figureworks (juried by Tom Campbell, Stephen Frew and Katherine McNenly)
AOE Selections (juried)
Artwork at Ottawa Art Gallery Rental & Sales (juried)
EBA (Enriched Bread Artists) Open Studio group show
CSArt Ottawa 2016/17 Season Visual Artist (curated by Megan Monafu and CSArt board, paid fees)
Firefly, Maker Fair Ottawa
AOE Artinis showcased artist (live painting)
Pop-up gallery and live painting Social Portraits, Art School Fair
Hit and Run, La Petit Mort
Live Painting, Hintonburg Happening
2015:
Patrick Gordon Group Show (curated by Patrick Gordon)
Figureworks (juried by Katherine McNenly, Shahla Bahrami and Joël A. Prévost)
Chinatown Remixed - Social Portraits
EROS, Arbor Gallery (curated by John Olsthoorn)
Firefly, Maker Fair Ottawa
2014:
AOE Selections - Jury Choice Award for oil portrait ‘Pondering’ (juried)
Figureworks (juried by Kristy Gordon, Andrew Morrow and Mat Dubé)
The List installation, Nuit Blanche Ottawa Gatineau (curated by Megan Smith)
Nuit Blanche Ottawa Gatineau HipsterMonocle (curated by Megan Smith)
Live painting, Hintonburg Happening After Party
2013:
Figureworks (juried by Brian Smith, Rosemary Breault-Landry and Pamela Cockcroft-Laserre)
Firefly Installation, Nuit Blanche Ottawa Gatineau (curated by Megan Smith)
HipsterMonocle, Creative Cities Summit in Ottawa (curated by ArtEngine)
Winner of the 2013 Art Battle Ottawa Championship & participation in nationals at the AGO
Fundraisers:
2022: OAC Luck
2018: OAC Luck
2018: All Hands on Deck
2017: OAC Luck
2016: OAC Luck
2015: OAC Luck, SAW Gallery Sketch, SweetHeARTs - Fundraiser for Carleton University AHGSS
2014: SAW Gallery Sketch
2013: OAC Luck
Grants and other Funding:
2017: Articipate Grant for Social Potraits Exhibition at the Trinity Gallery
2016: Crowdfunding campaign (~10K) to help support the Social Portraits series
2016: CSArt Grant for 2016-17 Season
2014: OAC (Ontario Arts Council) Emerging Media Arts Grant (10K) for Firefly V2
2013: Awesome Ottawa Grant (1K)
Published:
Illusion Magazine (online) Fine Art Nude Photography and Painting on ello
CTV Morning Interview (http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=830754)
Variety of articles in Ottawa Citizen, Metro and Apt 613 related to Social Portraits
Artist Spotlight on Faison-ici (http://faisons-ici.ca/tagged/Mark-B-Stephenson)
Strokes of Genius 8: Expressive Texture Book (jurried competition, book published by Artists Network)
Ottawa Arts Review Magazine - Drawing ‘a dash of red’ on front cover
